Friday, May 16, 2014

The Sussex County Board of Supervisors held their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, May 15. During the meeting, County Attorney Mike Packer discussed the concerns raised by gun owners and hunters related to the ban on Sunday target shooting passed as part of a larger noise ordinance change on April 17th. He said that if an emergency ordinance is approved, the board can "repeal" the section dealing with Sunday shooting (Section 5). He also said the matter would have to come back before the Board within 60 days because an emergency ordinance would expire in 60 days. Any permanent change would require a public hearing. There was some discussion about how the Board exempt gun noise and not loud music but Vice Chairman Robert Hamlin responded that loud music and gunfire noise is not the same.

I don't own a gun but I have a problem restricting a person's right to use their gun.

Maybe someone should ask Mr. Hamlin why it took a public outcry by gun owners and hunter to figure that out since he voted for the ordinance in question.

Sussex-Surry Dispatch reporter Mike Campbell reported live via his Twitter feed that Board Chairman Eric Fly once again confirmed this was a direct attack on Sunday hunting.

Board Chairman: Not sure how we can just "snatch out" the gunfire section of the ordinance. Goes back to Sunday hunting concerns by county.
— Mike Campbell (@itsthesoup) May 16, 2014

Fly: Noise ordinance was created to keep people from shooing next to houses on Sundays. "If removed, how are we gonna protect people?"
— Mike Campbell (@itsthesoup) May 16, 2014

After discussion closed the Board voted by emergency ordinance to repeal the section of the noise ordinance that banned shooting on Sunday. That repeal is in effect for 60 days and the Board has that long to hold another public hearing on permanently repeal that part of the ordinance. VSSA will continue to monitor this situation and keep members and gun owners posted.